Flush extension latch



Jan. 19, 1960 L. D. SMITH FLUSH EXTENSION LATCH Filed Dec. 3, 1956 Fla.5

INVENTOR. LAWRENCE 9. SMITH drraewsvs 2,921,810 FLUSH EXTENSION LATCHApplication December 3, 1956, Serial No. 625,794

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-113) This invention relates to flush extensionlatches, and included in the objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a latch which utilizes certain features of the latchesdisclosed in Patent No. 2,476,268,-issued July 19, 1949, to Theodore H.Beck and Leslie P. Glick and Patent No. 2,639,178, issued May 19, 1953,to John E. Hogan. I 7

Second, to provide a latch of this type wherein the latch lever ismodified to form a handle lever and a catch extension is pivotallyconnected therewith for engagement with a mating catch bar or pin, thecatch extension being so mounted that component structures carrying thelatch assembly and the catch bar or pin'may be drawn toward each otheras the latch assembly is caused to close.

Third, to provide a latch of this type which, when in 2 Y formed receivea journal pin 11, the ends of which are secured in the bearing lugs 5.The keeper lever or trigger lever 10 is movable between a positionsubstantially flush with the mounting plate 1 and a downwardly in:-clinedposition. The fulcrum end of the keeper lever above the axis ofthe journal pin 11 is adapted to fit over and retain the offset lip ,8of the handle lever 6; The remote or extended end of the keeper lever 10is oifset, as indicated by 12, to fit over and engage the Web 3.

;Wrapped around the journal pins 7 and 11 and bearing against the levers6 and 10 is a spring 13, which is arranged to urge the handle lever toits right angular position shown in Fig. 3 and to urge the triggerlever. 0r keeper lever 10 toward the web 3, as shown in Fig. 2. Theconstruction and arrangement of the spring 13 is more fully described inthe previously mentioned Patent No. 2,639,178. To prevent excessivemovement ,of the keeper lever 10, one of the lugs 5 may be extended andbent to form a stop 14.

Hinged to, the handle lever 6 is an extension lever 15. The extensionlever 15 includes a strap portion 16 having at one end a pair ofright-angularly disposed arms 17, which arms are adapted to straddle thesides of the handle lever 6 and are pivotally connected thereto.intermediate the ends of the handle, lever by a journal pin 18.

The extension lever 15 is movable between a position i in which thestrap 16 is substantially flush with the handle its closedposition, maybe flush with the structure .in

which it is mounted.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter,reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the flush extension latch with thesurrounding structure in which it is mounted indicated fragmentarily;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof through Fig. 1 with thelatch shown in its closed position;

Fig. 3 is a similar longitudinal sectional view showing the latch in itsopen position;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the latch shown in its closed position. I a

The flush extension latch includes a mounting plate 1 which may beformed of sheet material. The mounting plate is divided longitudinallyto form two side flanges 2 connected at oneend by a web 3 so as to forma longitudinal slot extending the major length of the plate between theflanges 2. Portions of the material initially within the boundaries ofthe slot are bent at right angles to the side flanges 2 to form a pairof handle lever hearing lugs 4 at the end of the mounting plate 1 remotefrom the web 3 and a pair of keeper lever bearing lugs 5 intermediatethe ends of the mounting plate.

Journaled between the bearing lugs 4 is a handle lever 6 which may beformed of sheet material and is channelshaped in cross section. The sideflanges thus formed receive a transversely extending journal pin -7, theends of which are secured in the bearing lugs 4.

The handle lever 6 is capable of moving between a position substantiallyflush with the side flanges 2 and an approximately right angularposition in which the extended end of the handle lever projects upwardlyfrom the mounting plate 1. The extremity of the handle lever 6 remotefrom its fulcrum end is provided with anoffset lip 8 in its uppersurface and the extremity of the lever is bent under the oifset lip andshaped to form a cam face 9.

Mounted between the bearing lugs 5 is a keeper lever 10 which may alsobe formed of sheet material and is channel-shaped in cross section. Theside flanges thus lever 6 and a. position at right angles thereto. Theextremity of the extension lever 15 is curved to form a hook 19 capableof engaging a mating bar or pin 20 located ina structure, companion tothe structure in whichthe latch is mounted.

It will be noted, with reference to Figs. 2 and 3, that the journal pin18 for the catch or extension lever 15 is carried by the flanges of thehandle lever 6 adjacent the journal '7 thereof, being so located that,when the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 2, the axis of thejournal pin 18 lies slightly above a plane passing through the axes ofthe journal pins 7 and 11, or toward the mounting plate side thereof. Itwill also be noted that, in this position, the flanges orarms 17- of thecatch lever 15 engage the ends of the journal pin 7, thereby limitingthe downward or inward swing of the catch lever 15, and assuring thatthe latch parts 10, 6 and 15 remain flush with the surface of thestructure in which they are mounted whether the two structures arelatched together as shown in Fig. 2 with the hook 19 engaging pin 20, orwhether the latch parts are moved into their projected position whilethe two structures to be latched are separated.

Operation of the flush extension latch is as follows:

When the keeper lever or trigger lever 10 is disengaged from the handlelever 6, the handle lever tends to occupy a position at right angles tothe mounting plate 1. In such position of the handle lever, theextension. lever 15 may project forwardly fi'om the mounting plate forengagement with the mating bar or pin 20. As the handle lever 6 is movedfrom the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2, thehook end 19 of the extension lever 15 is drawn toward the mounting plate1 so as to draw the pin or bar 20 and corresponding structure toward thestructure in which the latch is mounted. In moving the handle lever 6towards the closed position shown in Fig. 2, the cam face 9 displacesthe keeper lever 10 to allow the oifset lips 8 to pass under thecorresponding end of the keeper lever so as to be retained thereby.

Any tendency of the handle lever 6 to rotate by reason of tensionapplied to the extension lever 15 is resisted by the keeper lever 10.However, the axes of the pin or bar 20, journal pin 7, and journal pin18 may be sufiiciently close to a coplanar position that the turningmoment onthe handle lever is negligible. In order to release the Vmodate the handle lever 6 and keeper lever 10.

latch, 11: merely necessary to press downward on the V trigger or keeperlever 10, permitting the handle lever 6 to move to the position shown inFig. 3.

Themounting plate 1 is preferably secured to theunderside: of the panel,or other structure, in which it is mounted, in which a slot is cut insuch panel to 'a'ccom'- Inasmuch as it' is desirable that thesurfacesfof the levers be as nearly fiush with the panel or othersurrounding structure alents of the parts and their formation andarrangement as comewithjn the'pur'view of the appended claim. What isclaimed is: 7

A flush extension latch, comprising: a mounting plate including coplanarsideflanges definingtherebetween a longitudinal slot, an end Webbordering one'end of said slot, and journal lugs bordering the sides ofsaid slot; a retainer lever,'handle lever, and catch lever, each formedof sheet material and channel-shaped in cross section to form a crossweb and parallel flanges, the cross webs of said levers adapted to bedisposed'in' coplanar tandem relation within and filling said slot; saidretainer lever having an oifset end adapted to fit under said end web;saidhandle lever having an ofiset end adapted to fit under the adjacentend of said retainer lever; journal means pivotally mounting said handlelever and retainer lever between said journal lugs for movement betweensaid coplanar relation and angular positions wherein said handleleverprojects outwardly from said mounting plate and wardly projectingposition and for urging said retainer lever toward its coplanarposition; the flanges of said catch lever arranged to straddle saidhandle lever and pivotally connected thereto byother journal means,carried by said handle lever, pivotally mounting said catch lever, saidother journal means being adjacent the journal means for the handlelever and being located'relative thereto in such position that, when thecatch lever, handle lever, and retainer lever. are in their retractedpositions, the axis of said catch lever journal means lies toward themounting plate side of a plane passing through the axes of the handleleverand retainer lever journal means, and the flanges of the catchlever engage the handle lever journal means to limit the movement ofsaid catch lever; the cross web. of said catch lever projecting beyondthe end of said mounting plate remote from said end web thereof andcurved at its extremity to 'form a hook element, said catch lever beingmovable between an extended position when said handle lever is in itsoutwardly projecting position and a retracted position when said handlelever and catch lever are coplanar.

Referencesv Cited in the file of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,603,418 Scheider Oct. 19, 1926 2,462,282Pickford Feb. 22, 1949 2,476,268 Beck et al July 19, 1949 2,712,955Andrews July 12, 1955 2,717,796 Cudney Sept. 13, 1955 2,732,238 DornbergJan. 24, 1956

